After the headlines: Mineral City FD continues to serve

The small volunteer fire department of Mineral City first made headlines in July after a nasty storm and tornado struck the village of 900 people. The tornado's target was the fire station itself, decimating the 50-year-old building and destroying at least one fire truck.

The small volunteer fire department of Mineral City first made headlines in July after a nasty storm and tornado struck the village of 900 people. The tornado's target was the fire station itself, decimating the 50-year-old building and destroying at least one fire truck.

As if that weren't enough to shake things up, the volunteer firefighters, many of whom also serve as emergency management service workers, still had plenty to do in the tornado's aftermath. There were individuals trapped in their homes who needed help. Jumping in personal vehicles, the volunteers would track down the people in need.

In the months that followed, the core group of 25 found ways to respond quickly to emergencies that would crop up, including fires in the city and surrounding township. But as the early onset of winter weather hit the area, Fire Chief Sam Moore began to feel more anxious, while noting that the remaining equipment could freeze and be useless to the families he served.

His frustration continued to grow because construction on the temporary pole building — which was supposed to house the fire trucks and ambulances — hasn't been completed. The building was supposed to be finished in November.

In the meantime, some of the trucks are being housed at Buckeye Oil, a gas company in Zoarville, while a tanker and squad is being housed at the Sandy Township Garage. One ambulance and one truck still reside at the parking lot that held the old fire department, Moore said.

Moore said he's grateful he has a place to keep his equipment, but he's frustrated that the equipment isn't readily available as it should be. He said the department's response team to a fire or an accident used to be three minutes. Now it takes the first responders at least 10.

He said a fire doubles every minute, and he's lucky there haven't been too many recently.

But the distance hasn't stopped him or the others who serve the department.

"We're all volunteers If we get called out we go. It could be Christmas dinner. It doesn't matter, we'll go," he said.

There has been some positive news for the fire department. In early December, the Village of Mineral City reached a $1.15 million settlement with the Ohio Plan Risk Management Insurance Co. to replace the fire station.

There had been an ongoing dispute between the company and the village as to how much the insurance company would cover. Now the village will receive a $1,158,750 insurance settlement to replace the 50-year-old building, plus upgrades. The station will be upgraded from 8,150 square feet to a 9,500-square-foot building with stronger walls and more room to accommodate equipment. It will also get to keep the pole barn which is valued at $60,000, which will be used as the village garage after the fire station is completed in June 2014.

Page 2 of 2 - Construction on the department is set to begin in June and the village has already worked with Motter & Meadows Architecture firm to do preliminary design work for the fire station and has selected Norm Eckinger from Canton to construct the building.

Moore said the pole barn should be completed soon. He said the only work left is electric and insulation.

"It'll be just like having a station," he said.

And hopefully, the construction on the new station will run on time, he said, so his group can provide the response time and service the residents of Mineral City deserve.